With new commish, Big East makes big splash

The future of the Big East hinges on one thing: The new TV deal up for negotiation next month. So for the league to pluck a high-level broadcast executive as its new commissioner—word came down today that CBS’ Mike Aresco is the guy—makes perfect sense.

It also restores some respect for a conference that had become a punch-line among the movers and shakers in college sports (particularly football) over the past couple of years.

That’s the consensus vibe from the first round of columns and commentary on the move (we’ll add more later):

About Jerry Carino

Jerry Carino has covered sports for the Gannett New Jersey newspapers since 1996 and has been on the college basketball beat since 2003. A native of Old Bridge, he also teaches journalism at Kean University.

Hi Blue. I think everyone was on board with this hire. Aresco is a TV guy, not a football guy or a hoops guy. In that sense, there are no winners and losers. But I do see Tim Pernetti’s hand as being very influential here. Pernetti was a former Aresco colleague and was bullish on the earlier hiring Chris Bevilicqua (another former colleague of his) as a consultant for the TV deal negotiation.

It seems as though Pernetti has become a strong voice in the league and his relationship with Aresco strikes me as an indicator that RU is in the Big East for the long haul.

It will be interesting to see how much of a voice Rick Pitino has going forward. With Marinatto as his puppet, Pitino was the main mover and shaker for the basketball faction. Will he still have clout? Would love to be a fly on his living room wall today.

I’ll look into the Gibbs appeal when the team returns from Spain. I would not expect to see him in uniform this year though.

Interesting: Heard Jay Bilas was a serious candidate for the commish gig. Ultimately he would be viewed as more of a basketball guy though whereas Aresco is more neutral–and better plugged into the other network execs.

Homelesscrub also has stated its preference for losing vs. RPI, too funny. Sounds like Pernetti is certainly getting it done not only for RU (RAC expansion, securing Top 2o recruiting classes, shepherding in much needed new conference leadership, etc., etc., etc.) but for the Big East. No worries though, scrubby, you’re still very likely to get your wish of a small bball-only BE in a couple of years no matter how the new TV contract comes in.

I never said I wanted a small basketball only conference! Quite the opposite! I want the strongest, most competitive conference. Basketball and football can both be a part of that. The thing is though that the football side is dragging down the basketball side! UConn is the only true Big East team left playing football! Schools like Rutgers and the west coast kids add nothing to the basketball side and in fact drag it down. Boise is the only one who can play football in that group. Meanwhile, real Big East teams who play football like Boston College, Syracuse and Pitt have left or are leaving which hurts the conference!

Do you honestly think anyone would lose and sleep if Rutgers left!? There would parties and celebrations! It would be addition by subtraction! RPIs and strength of schedules would go up all over! Sadly for the Big East no one is stupid enough to make the same mistake the Big East did and take Rutgers off our hands. Rutgers has to accept who they are and realize they do not matter in the world of big time sports.

Expanding or replacing the RAC is a huge waste of money. You can’t fill the middle school gym you have now! Also, who will pay for this waste? Corrine is no longer in office and I don’t see Christie footing the entire bill because your “fans” and alumni are too cheap to pony up!

I’m praying that one day RU wakes up and realizes that the NJAC is truly where they belong with their NJ state school peers!

Yes really homelesscrub, I must admit I did assume that you could only be wishing for a smaller BE bball league as you dream about a basketball-only conference. Take about 10 mins. and do some research on the demise of the BE in football. Here’s a clue: Sources suggest that an NBC TV contract with the conference would pay the Big East football teams $10 million apiece and throw in an additional $4 million for the 16 basketball schools. One of the network’s ideas may be to run a full day of Big East football, along with Notre Dame home games, from noon to midnight Saturdays on either NBC or its still-growing cable channel. This money goes a long, long way to funding the RAC upgrade for instance !!

You sound like you are too young, sonny, to realize that BE football was as strong a football conference as any in the college game during the early years with Miami, VaTech, WVU, BC, and heck even now BE football doormat Syracuse and so-so Pitt were big bowl contenders year-in-year-out right up to the first ACC raid of UoM, BC and VaTech in 2003. And why-oh-why did those schools leave then, and why now WVU, ‘Cuse and Pitt? Well little fella, it’s all about the football money that the bball-only pariahs in Providence, ‘Nova, Gtown, SJU, etc. would not allow the football+hoops schools to rightly earn, feeling their sacred basketball programs would soon suffer at the bigger revenue share the 2-sport schools would receive.

So now BE bball sees WVU gone and powers Syracuse and Pitt leaving next year. And if Louisville leaves within a couple years BE hoops takes another hit nationally. RU is finally making the investments needed to upgrade basketball, and in another major conference with even bigger TV $$$ we also will continue to build-up and pass bball only college schools. So yes, I may have misunderstood your bball only BE conference “wish” that is really flat-out ignorance, my apologies sonny.

Finally to address another area of your ignorance scrubby, it’s been common inside knowledge that the B-12 wanted RU last year but no one in New Brunswick or Trenton liked the fit and will wait for the next realignment. This convoluted BE football configuration is temporary (but better football nonetheless), so no worries here on the banks–we’re on the rise in football and bball, the latter because of football and its money.
So see you on the hardwood soon scrubby without Gonzo’s big guns returning. You have to like this RU roster against Willard who’s 2-3 vs. undermanned and inexperienced RU teams under Mike Rice.

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Since its launch in 2006, Hoops Haven has become a staple of the New Jersey basketball community. This is the place to find breaking news, analysis and links about college and high school basketball in the Garden State.

About the Author

Jerry Carino has covered sports for the Gannett New Jersey newspapers since 1996 and has been on the college basketball beat since 2003. A native of Old Bridge, he also teaches journalism at Kean University.Email Jerry.